A recent report by Confartigianato<\/strong> – available here<\/strong><\/a> for members of the association’s portal – photographs the current situation. And what emerges is that SMEs are the protagonists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As shown by ISTAT<\/strong> data, spending on R&D in Italy<\/strong> in 2018 amounted to around 25.2 billion euros<\/strong>: the private enterprise sector, responsible for more than<\/strong> 63% of investments<\/strong>, played a decisive role.<\/p>\n The most striking figure concerns the leading role played by Italy’s small and medium-sized enterprises<\/strong>: compared to 2017, the latter increased R&D spending by 15.8%<\/strong>, eight percentage points more than the average for companies (7.4%).<\/p>\n The long-term figures for the five-year period 2013-2018<\/strong> are also remarkable, with an average annual increase of 18.5% for small businesses<\/strong> and 12% for medium-sized enterprises<\/strong>, while those of large companies have increased by +3.2%.<\/p>\n Despite the difficulties experienced by the manufacturing sector<\/strong> at the moment, there continues to be a strong presence on foreign Made in Italy<\/strong> markets: exports continue to be one of the strong points of the Italian economic fabric, as we reported in an article<\/a><\/strong> published in recent weeks and dedicated to forecasts for Italian exports in 2021.<\/p>\n Of particular note is the increase in the average unit value of our exports<\/strong>, which in June of this year was +2.7%: a clear sign of the strengthening of local production on foreign markets<\/strong>, capable of being an ideal destination for the products and services offered by Italian entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n SMEs have been able to demonstrate a considerable capacity for adaptation<\/strong> in this difficult scenario: a spirit that certainly stems from the desire to invest in innovative solutions to boost their productivity.<\/p>\n The lion’s share is certainly taken by the digitalisation of decision-making<\/strong> and operational processes<\/strong>: new technologies have also made their way into small and medium-sized enterprises, allowing them to improve the output<\/strong> of their activities.<\/p>\n As the report highlights, it is precisely the micro and small enterprises<\/strong> that have developed digital strategies – including e-commerce channels for example – that have reacted best to the current situation in the global economy.<\/p>\n![\"R&D](\"https:\/\/www.matchplat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/RD-2-1.png\" "\\"Matchplat\\"")
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